I Was Made To Love Her was released during the developmental part of Stevie Wonder’s career, as he progressed from a Motown label-controlled teenager to one of the superstars of American music. It was similar to his other albums at the time (1967) as he continued to hone his writing skills by composing four of the tracks and then filling the rest of the album with cover songs.

His albums would increasingly become more polished and his own compositions would quickly develop a sophistication that would eventually make the cover songs unnecessary. More amazing was the fact he was still a teenager.

The best track is the title song, which also became a hit single, reaching number two on the Billboard Magazine Pop Singles Chart and number one on their Rhythm & Blues Chart. It was a joyful and up-tempo blast of Motown soul, and while the album contained a number of strong performances, this was head and shoulders above everything else. If I had to pick the best songs from his teen years, “I Was Made To Love Her” would make the top five.

The three other original compositions are the most complex and sophisticated material on the album. “Everybody Needs Somebody (I Need You)” is both smooth and melodic. “I Cry” and “Every Time I See You, I Go Wild” show the beginnings of his experimentation with chord changes and odd melodic structures. These songs may now be afterthoughts in his his vast catalogue of superior work, but for a budding teenage prodigy they were brilliant.

Some of the covers work better than others. “I Pity The Fool” is an old Bobby Bland blues hit. Wonder’s vocal stays within that framework but he adds a blues guitar as the songs foundation. It proved to be a musical direction that he did not visit often enough as his career progressed. The best cover was the Otis Redding classic “Respect.” He takes the song in a rock direction and adds one of the better harmonica performances of his career.

One the other hand James Brown’s “Please Please Please” and the Temptations big hit, “My Girl,” are average at best and will always be associated with their originators. He also gave a bland performance on yet another Ray Charles song, “A Fool For You,”

I Was Made To Love Her”was a well-produced and for the most part, well-performed album from his formative years that is now often overlooked. If you are in the mood for some good music from the pre-superstar Stevie Wonder, this is a good album to explore.

Jeff Aug is not a name you might recognize. He is a Washington D.C. born guitarist who has lived the last 20 years in southern Germany. He has floated in and out of a number of bands, and as a solo artist has toured with such artists as Soft Machine, Johnny A, and Albert Lee. Also of interest is he holds the Guinness Book Of World Record for the most concerts performed on different continents within a 24 hour period.

His new band, Ape Shifter, is a basic progressive rock band with Aug as the guitarist with bassist Florian Walter, and drummer Kurty Munch. Their self-titled debut album is all instrumental, carried and fronted by Aug’s excursions with his guitar.

This is the edgiest music Aug has produced. He has issued three rock and one punk album with his former bands, plus eight acoustic albums. Now he has cranked up the sound and intensity and immersed himself in the world of progressive rock.

“Dead Tuna Boogie,” “Ratchet Attack,” “Desert Rock,” and “Brain-O-Mat” are solid and contain enough room for Aug to improvise over the tight rhythm section. A good listen for any fan of the sound and style.

Jim Kweskin and His Jug Band was a seminal band during the 1960’s folk revival. Unblushing Brassiness (1963), Jug Band Music (1965), and Jim Kweskin And The Jug Band (1966) were all creative and unique approaches to the folk music idiom. The band also represented the lighter and fun side of folk music.

Kweskin took a time out from the band in 1966 to release the solo album Relax Your Mind. The music was in the same vein, and several of his bandmates were present, but it was less focused and cohesive. In retrospect it seems like an album of songs that Kweskin wanted to play and record that may not have been exactly right for his band.

There are two live tracks from a performance at Club 47 in Cambridge. “I Got Mine” and “Buffalo Skinners” not only show the technical proficiency and creative nature of Kweskin but also the goofiness that made his sound an important part of the folk movement.

The studio material has a simple and raw sound and has a jam-like feel to it. Kweskin has always been an under rated guitarist but it it Jug Band harmonica player Mel Lyman who steals the instrumental show.

The material comes from a number of sources. “Bye and Bye” is an old Southern gospel song that Kweskin interprets from a folk perspective. “Guabi Guabi” is an African folk song that undergoes an Americanization. “Eight More Miles To Louisville” is an old country song made famous by Grandpa Jones and shows how adept Kweskin was at adapting material to his own brand of folk music.

Two classic blues tunes make an appearance. Mississippi John Hurt’s “My Creole Belle” and Ledbelly’s “Relax You Mind” are Kweskin exploring a distinctly American art form. It is the opening track; “A Look At The Ragtime Era (Sister Katie’s Night Out): I Wish I Could Shimmy Like My Sister” that is a career thesis statement for Kweskin, both as a solo artist and band leader.

Relax Your Mind is an often overlooked album in the journey of Jim Kweskin and of 1960’s folk music. It is not your usual folk music album, which makes it interesting and a necessary listening experience for any fan of the era.

Next week Beth Garner will return with her new album Snake Farm. It is a tight seven track release with six original songs, plus the title song cover of “Snake Eyes” by Ray Wylie Hubbard.

Garner has a wonderfully soulful voice that provides a firm foundation for her blues sound. She is an adept traditional blues guitarist, who really shines when playing in a slide guitar style.

Recorded just about live in the studio, she rolls through a program of modern days electric blues that moves in a rock and roll direction at times. “Wish I Was” is a three chord jam-fest that proves the blues don’t have to be serious all the time. “Used To Be” is a shuffle-style song about aging. Her take on the title track returns the song to its gritty roots.

Garner is one of those musicians who is constantly on the road plying her chosen trade in small clubs coast to coast. In many ways, she represents the way the blues should be played and heard.

Chip Taylor may be an artist you may not have heard of but he is an artist you probably have heard.

He is one of the latest inductees into the Songwriters Hall Of Fame. His career has now reached the 60 year mark as it stretches back to his big 1960’s hit by the Troggs, “Wild Thing. Hundreds of songs have followed that have spread out into rock, country, and folk. Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Aretha Franklin, Willie Nelson, Dusty Spring, and Frank Sinatra are just a few of the artists who have recorded his songs.

He has also been a consistent presence in the studio; producing consistent, melodic, and lyrically incisive music. His solo albums tend to be laid back affairs that are comfortable in a country of folk music setting.

His newest release, A Song I Can Live With, is a lot lighter than his recent releases. He used a stream of consciousness approach in the creation of the songs. Songs such as “Crazy Girl,” “New York In Between,” “Save Your Blues And Your Money,” and “Little Angel Wings,”

Sometimes I can’t remember my wife’s birthday yet I can remember Gary Lewis & The Playboys playing “This Diamond Ring” on The Ed Sullivan Show way back in 1964.

Gary Lewis is the son of legendary comedian and actor Jerry Lewis and his group was discovered playing at Disneyland by producer Snuff Garrett. They would go on to create a string of hits that may not have been essential to the history of rock ‘n’ roll but they were extremely catchy and pleasant nonetheless; plus, they were tremendously popular, selling millions of copies. And they still put a smile on my face over forty years later.

Collector’s Choice has just released The Complete Liberty Singles by Gary Lewis & The Playboys. This two disc, 45-track set contains all of the group’s singles — both the A and B sides — plus a couple of unreleased songs.

While they would release a number of albums, they were at heart a singles band. Their LPs would basically contain a couple of their hits surrounded by a bunch of cover songs. They sold quite a few albums with this formula, but the singles remain their superior recordings.

Having Jerry Lewis as your father didn’t hurt as they were able to debut their first ever recording on The Ed Sullivan Show in front of tens of millions of people. The recorded version actually featured some of the best studio musicians of the day, including drummer Hal Blaine and keyboardist Leon Russell, who would become a fixture in the studio. Who played on the song didn’t necessarily matter, though, as “This Diamond Ring” hit Number One on the American charts and made stars of the group.

They would become mainstays on the charts, sharing radio time with the likes of the Rolling Stones, the Beatles, and the Beach Boys. Top twenty hits such as “Count Me In,” “Save Your Heart For Me,” “Everybody Loves A Clown,” “She’s Just My Style,” “Sure Gonna Miss Her,” “Green Grass,” “(You Don’t Have To) Paint Me A Picture,” and “My Heart’s Symphony” still provide a nice if simple look at the innocent side of rock ‘n’ roll during the sixties.

I rarely remember the flip side of old singles unless they are excellent in themselves or memorable in some other way. While Gary Lewis had a couple of B sides that could have been hits, “Without A Word Of Warning” and particularly the 60’s surf and drag piece, “Little Miss Go-Go;” a number of these songs were so bad or so odd that they remain in my memory banks. “Tijuana Wedding” would appear a number of times but under different titles. Gary Lewis sang like his father on “Time Stands Still” and “Looking For The Stars” came complete with celebrity impersonations. And then there is the famous cut, “I Saw Elvis Presley Last Night.” One can only hope that they made some money for all concerned.

No Gary Lewis compilation would be complete without “Doin’ The Flake.” In 1965 Kellogg’s cereal issued an EP consisting of “This Diamond Ring,” “Count Me In” and a new song recorded just for them entitled “Doin’ The Flake.” All you had to do was send two box tops and 25 cents to Battle Creek, Michigan and a couple of months later the record would arrive at your door. My copy still resides in my record collection.

Gary Lewis entered the service in 1967 and though he managed to record a few songs while on leave, by 1969 his hit-making career was finished. Today he tours on the oldies circuit.

Gary Lewis & The Playboys are a nice stop in the history of sixties pop fare and The Complete Liberty Singles cover the length and breadth of their career well. Their music may not be as sophisticated as brain surgery but it remains a lot of fun.

Lesley Gore, (1946-2015), was a teen idol during the 1960’s. Beginning in 1963 at the age of 16, she placed close to 20 songs on the Billboard Hot 100. Songs such as the number one “It’s My Party,” “Judy’s Turn To Cry,” “She’s A Fool,” “You Don’t Own Me,” and “California Nights” taped into teen angst, love, and life. By the end of the decade her commercial peak was past and she moved on to writing, acting, and appearing on the oldies circuit.

She recorded nine studio albums 1963-1967, but only four more during the next 48 years. Love Me By Name reunited her with producer Quincy Jones. It was an attempt to take her career in an adult direction and for the most part it succeeds.

Love Me By Name is an impeccably produced and recorded album of music. What adds to the interest is the fact Gore co-wrote all 12 of the tracks.

The styles move in a number of directions. “Immortality: is probably the album’s best track. It is a smooth pop song that updates her teen sound. The single version of the song is included as a bonus track. A little longer than the album track, it was re-imagined for the mid-1970’s dance floor.

“Paranoia” allows her to travel in a rock and roll direction for one of the few times in her career. It is a dark piece complete with blazing guitars. “Can’t Seem To Live Our Good Times Down” moves in a completely different direction. It is an easy-listening pop extravaganza with strings, brass, and background vocals. “Along The Way” falls into the light jazz category thanks to the harmonica play of Toots Thielmans.

Love Me By Name is a versatile and satisfying album that deserved a better commercial fate. It is proof that Lesley Gore created good music after her teen years were past.

Paul Kelly has been a superstar in his native Australia for several decades. He has produces numerous albums of reflective and cerebral pop/rock. He is also known for his creative approaches to presenting his music. A little over a decade ago he embarked on a series of concerts where he sang his original song catalogue in alphabetical order. He followed it with an eight disc CD set containing the songs in the same order. Early last hear he created an album of music using the love sonnets of Shakespeare as the lyrics.

Charlie Owens has been an Australian instrumental mainstay. His work with several bands and as an in-demand session musician has kept him in the public eye. Now he has joined Kelly in the creation of an album with a very unique theme.

There are concept albums and then there are concept albums. Death’s Dateless Night is an album of songs that they have performed at funerals.

The music is basic and for the most part acoustic. It is usually Owns on piano, dobro, or pedal steel and Kelly on guitar and vocals. The song-selection is more philosophical than depressing. Well known tunes such as Leonard Cohen’s “Bird On A Wire,” Lennon/McCartney’s “Let It Be,” and Townes Van Zandt’s “”To Live Is To Fly” are given simple renditions.

It is the less-known songs that make the biggest impact. The traditional and century old “Pallet On The Floor” and the near acapella Irish song “The Parting Glass” are stunning despite their simplicity. “Meet Me In The Middle Of The Air” is one of two original compositions that uses the 23rd Psalm as a jumping off place. The album concludes with Hank Williams’ “Angel of Death.”

Paul Kelly and Charlie Owens have managed to make the concept of death both interesting and listenable. Death’s Dateless Night is another interesting career stop for Paul Kelly. Funerals have never been so interesting or entertaining.